BERHAMPUR: With the onset of winter, Asia’s largest brackish water lagoon, Chilika lake has come alive with the chirps of migratory birds. Over 230 species of birds including 100 intercontinental migratory ones visit the lake, spread over 1,000 sq km every year. Balugaon wildlife sanctuary sources said over 15,000 birds have already arrived at the lake, a Ramsar site, in the last one week. However, Nalabana and Mangalajodi have not received the usual number of birds as of now.
The Forest department has initiated several measures to ensure the safety of the birds and set up as many as 19 camps and a mobile squad for the purpose. The camps have been set up at Balugaon, Tangi, Rambha, Satapada and Chilika within Balugaon wildlife division.
While Tangi forest range has 10 camps, Nalabana has four, Satapada and Rambha two each and Chilika one. Each camp has a motor boat and is manned by a forester or forest guard and three members of bird protection committee comprising villagers residing near the lake. The mobile squad checks poaching of the birds, which are mostly killed for their meat, by locals.
Sources said of the 15,000 birds that have arrived at the lake, 6,243 have congregated at Nalabana. Of the 160 species that make the lake their home during winter, as of now 31 have arrived. Prominent among them are Eurasian Wigeon, Northern Pintail, Gadwall, Shoveler, Common Koot and Shelduck.
Forest officials of Rambha wildlife division, in a meeting held at Sipakuda village, appealed people to ensure the safety of the guests who make Chilika the most sought after destination for ornithologists. They said the birds are also expected to arrive at Rajghai, Kendua, Debijhara and Salia minor irrigation projects and reservoirs this year.